As the end of the year approaches the idea of a family letter is a bit daunting so, I thought I would try the blog thing again.....so, here it goes starting at the beginning! The year started off with the usual plethora of New Year's resolutions. You know, it started at lose 5lbs, 10lbs, 25lbs......(that one didn't make it past the time it took to count to the number of pounds needed to lose!), all the way to learn to blog (and we all know how that went!). The one goal that stuck was to start graduate school. Life changed a bit as everyone modified schedules to accommodate a much busier mom. For me it has been a great experience. After years of child rearing and toilet cleaning, I was beginning to feel like the scattered scarecrow on the Wizard of Oz wondering what life would be like "if I only had a brain". A year later, I am please to report that although atrophied and on the slow side, it still works.
The year continued
with Alanna and Ricky, and Ariane and Brian, all working hard on their educations in Provo....never mind, I meant everyone but Brian who was having way too much fun as a freshman to actually study! He made great friends and had a blast....thanks guys! Fortunately, summer ended with a resolution on Brian's part to be an excellent student which he has done and then some.
Alanna finished nursing school with honors and Ariane decided since she would be finished in December she would walk at graduation with Alanna. Although a bit anti-climatic for Ariane we appreciated traveling to Utah only once during the year and the weather was fantastic....unlike Utah in December! We all had a great time celebrating with them and enjoyed spending time with the Rowley clan as well.
After graduation Mike, Ari and Brian had a great time playing hard in the deserts of southern Utah. They rock climbed, mountain biked, white water rafted and camped for a week in Moab, Bryce and Zions National Parks.
Summer brought Brian home to work at 2Wire again and to ride motorcycles with dad. It was really fun to have Brian home for the summer after his first year at BYU but, he was so busy I hardly got to see him. Of course Brian is always oh so patient with dad when taking pictures!!!
Garrett had a variety of jobs that kept him busy along with constant dating and soccer. Garrett always keep us on our toes and ready for anything. His presence is always known and we have missed him since he left us for BYU.
Ariane left on her much anticipated trip to Cuenca, Ecuador. After walking at graduation with Alanna, OSSO called Ari and asked her to stay in Ecuador twice as long as she had been expecting...she was thrilled even though she would put off her actual graduation a semester. So, she left in May and spent the next five months taking care of the wonderful children in the Cuenca orphanages. This is Andreas - Ari says he looks like a penguin but he's got my heart!
Alanna and Ricky spent the last weeks of July moving to So. Cal. Ricky to start Chiropractic school and Alanna to start working in the PICU at CHLA in September. They were graciously welcomed by the Rowley family with whom they will be living with for a time.
Dad, Mom, Garrett and Darren spent the first week in August at Zion's Camp
. Mike whitewater rafted and helped me teach orienteering to the 12 & 13 year old scouts.
August was a blur of a month with Zion's Camp, family vacation, getting the boys ready to go back to school and preparing to spend September in Ecuador and Peru but, well worth it! The last week in August found us at Lake Shasta again enjoying a week of house boating, water skiing and riding our new jet skis. I even learned to do the Rubik's cube thanks to Brian....what a trip! Grandma and Grandpa Black joined us for the week which made it even better. On the way home we stopped off and saw Keri and her family, Grandma Sherryl and Chester and Granny Arline. A great way to end the summer.
Brian and Garrett left to start the Fall semester at BYU at the end of August. For Garrett this was his first semester at BYU, and for Brian it was his last...for two years at least. The week after they left for school we left to join Ari in Ecuador.
We started our month long Sept trip with a week in the Ecuadorian Amazon. We stayed in an Eco-friendly lodge called Yachana and had a wonderful indigenous guide...Juan. Juan became Alex's hero. Not only was h
e very smart he carried a machete and learned how to blow a poison dart gun at five. We had an incredibly good time in this amazing environment. At the end of the trip the only disappointment I had was that it had actually not rained in the rain forest. My pleas were answered by the best rain
s
torm I have ever been in on the very last day. We were actually a little lost with Juan in the jungle as we were hiking on the last day. The idea crossed my mind that maybe I should be concerned that we were lost in the jungle with a man we had only met and he was carrying a machete! OK, no more T.V. for me! It was a great hike and got even better as it started to pour. It rained so hard (we had finally reached the road by then) that the road turned into a river of water. It really was a very memorable adventure!
After a week at Yachana we visited with Ariane and helped her in the orphanages. We made some great friends and mom had a hard time leaving one cute little
penguin! We really enjoyed the kids at Casa Milagros. They were all handicapped kids and very sweet. Our favorite activity was playing wheelchair soccer with the Milagros kids. The kids in all the orphanages were accepting and loving even when we attempted to read to them in Spanish! We certainly left with more than we gave.
After our uplifting and busy week with Ari we left for Peru. Yes, Peru!! All I can say is "Wow"! Everyday was an adventure, something new and different from anything else we had ever seen or done. Everything from checking out the painting of the Savior eating "cuy" at the Last Supper to sand boarding in the Peruvian desert, and flying over the Nasca Lines made the trip one of a lifetime! And.
..I haven't even mentioned Machu Picchu! There is a reason it is one of the Modern Wonders of the World. A truly breath taking place.
We got home the end of September in time for mom to start back to school and to get a phone call from Brian about the much anticipated "Call"! After impatiently waiting as all of his buddies left for their missions, Brian finally got his mission call. He is reporting to the MTC on January 21st before leaving to serve in Oaxaca, Mexico. The Sunday after he got his call it was announced in Sacrament meeting. A friend came up to me and said what a great place Oaxaca was and that is was known as th
e food capital of Mexico. The First Presidency is truly inspired - How much more inspired can you get than to send Brian to the food capital of Mexico! He is feeling bad that not everyone gets to go to the "best" mission in the world.
We moved into November with unseasonably warm weather and an even longer "to do list".
Thanksgiving was wonderful...as turkey and stuffing always are but, we found that the year was closing fast on us and that brought some bittersweet feelings. As in all things change is upon us and the Holidays of the next few years will find our family get-togethers leaner each year as kids leave for missions and begin their own families. It is good to know of the blessings of eternal families and that no matter how far we may travel and how busy we become we are always a family with love and memories of good times to share.
We hope this season of joy and gratefulness for the birth of our Savior will find you and your family enjoying the blessings of the season.
Merry Christmas.....from all the Black's - Mike, Kim, Alanna and Ricky (Rowley), Ariane, Brian, Garrett, Darren, Alex....and Isaac our golden retreiver.
The year continued
with Alanna and Ricky, and Ariane and Brian, all working hard on their educations in Provo....never mind, I meant everyone but Brian who was having way too much fun as a freshman to actually study! He made great friends and had a blast....thanks guys! Fortunately, summer ended with a resolution on Brian's part to be an excellent student which he has done and then some.
Alanna finished nursing school with honors and Ariane decided since she would be finished in December she would walk at graduation with Alanna. Although a bit anti-climatic for Ariane we appreciated traveling to Utah only once during the year and the weather was fantastic....unlike Utah in December! We all had a great time celebrating with them and enjoyed spending time with the Rowley clan as well.
After graduation Mike, Ari and Brian had a great time playing hard in the deserts of southern Utah. They rock climbed, mountain biked, white water rafted and camped for a week in Moab, Bryce and Zions National Parks.
Summer brought Brian home to work at 2Wire again and to ride motorcycles with dad. It was really fun to have Brian home for the summer after his first year at BYU but, he was so busy I hardly got to see him. Of course Brian is always oh so patient with dad when taking pictures!!!
Garrett had a variety of jobs that kept him busy along with constant dating and soccer. Garrett always keep us on our toes and ready for anything. His presence is always known and we have missed him since he left us for BYU.
Ariane left on her much anticipated trip to Cuenca, Ecuador. After walking at graduation with Alanna, OSSO called Ari and asked her to stay in Ecuador twice as long as she had been expecting...she was thrilled even though she would put off her actual graduation a semester. So, she left in May and spent the next five months taking care of the wonderful children in the Cuenca orphanages. This is Andreas - Ari says he looks like a penguin but he's got my heart!
Alanna and Ricky spent the last weeks of July moving to So. Cal. Ricky to start Chiropractic school and Alanna to start working in the PICU at CHLA in September. They were graciously welcomed by the Rowley family with whom they will be living with for a time.
Dad, Mom, Garrett and Darren spent the first week in August at Zion's Camp
. Mike whitewater rafted and helped me teach orienteering to the 12 & 13 year old scouts.
August was a blur of a month with Zion's Camp, family vacation, getting the boys ready to go back to school and preparing to spend September in Ecuador and Peru but, well worth it! The last week in August found us at Lake Shasta again enjoying a week of house boating, water skiing and riding our new jet skis. I even learned to do the Rubik's cube thanks to Brian....what a trip! Grandma and Grandpa Black joined us for the week which made it even better. On the way home we stopped off and saw Keri and her family, Grandma Sherryl and Chester and Granny Arline. A great way to end the summer.
Brian and Garrett left to start the Fall semester at BYU at the end of August. For Garrett this was his first semester at BYU, and for Brian it was his last...for two years at least. The week after they left for school we left to join Ari in Ecuador.
We started our month long Sept trip with a week in the Ecuadorian Amazon. We stayed in an Eco-friendly lodge called Yachana and had a wonderful indigenous guide...Juan. Juan became Alex's hero. Not only was h
e very smart he carried a machete and learned how to blow a poison dart gun at five. We had an incredibly good time in this amazing environment. At the end of the trip the only disappointment I had was that it had actually not rained in the rain forest. My pleas were answered by the best rains
torm I have ever been in on the very last day. We were actually a little lost with Juan in the jungle as we were hiking on the last day. The idea crossed my mind that maybe I should be concerned that we were lost in the jungle with a man we had only met and he was carrying a machete! OK, no more T.V. for me! It was a great hike and got even better as it started to pour. It rained so hard (we had finally reached the road by then) that the road turned into a river of water. It really was a very memorable adventure!After a week at Yachana we visited with Ariane and helped her in the orphanages. We made some great friends and mom had a hard time leaving one cute little
penguin! We really enjoyed the kids at Casa Milagros. They were all handicapped kids and very sweet. Our favorite activity was playing wheelchair soccer with the Milagros kids. The kids in all the orphanages were accepting and loving even when we attempted to read to them in Spanish! We certainly left with more than we gave.After our uplifting and busy week with Ari we left for Peru. Yes, Peru!! All I can say is "Wow"! Everyday was an adventure, something new and different from anything else we had ever seen or done. Everything from checking out the painting of the Savior eating "cuy" at the Last Supper to sand boarding in the Peruvian desert, and flying over the Nasca Lines made the trip one of a lifetime! And.
..I haven't even mentioned Machu Picchu! There is a reason it is one of the Modern Wonders of the World. A truly breath taking place.We got home the end of September in time for mom to start back to school and to get a phone call from Brian about the much anticipated "Call"! After impatiently waiting as all of his buddies left for their missions, Brian finally got his mission call. He is reporting to the MTC on January 21st before leaving to serve in Oaxaca, Mexico. The Sunday after he got his call it was announced in Sacrament meeting. A friend came up to me and said what a great place Oaxaca was and that is was known as th
e food capital of Mexico. The First Presidency is truly inspired - How much more inspired can you get than to send Brian to the food capital of Mexico! He is feeling bad that not everyone gets to go to the "best" mission in the world.We moved into November with unseasonably warm weather and an even longer "to do list".
Thanksgiving was wonderful...as turkey and stuffing always are but, we found that the year was closing fast on us and that brought some bittersweet feelings. As in all things change is upon us and the Holidays of the next few years will find our family get-togethers leaner each year as kids leave for missions and begin their own families. It is good to know of the blessings of eternal families and that no matter how far we may travel and how busy we become we are always a family with love and memories of good times to share.
We hope this season of joy and gratefulness for the birth of our Savior will find you and your family enjoying the blessings of the season.
Merry Christmas.....from all the Black's - Mike, Kim, Alanna and Ricky (Rowley), Ariane, Brian, Garrett, Darren, Alex....and Isaac our golden retreiver.
